The Leadership Lectures: Jorge P. Montoya

The Leadership Lectures feature world-class, accomplished and influential leaders with expertise ranging from business and philanthropy to public service and academic research. Through the Lectures we hope to allow our community to have access to the expertise, advice and best practices of some the world’s foremost leadership minds and so the lectures are free and open to the public.

Lecture

What do a major company CEO, a middle level manager in a corporation, a small business owner and an entrepreneur of a start-up all have in common? That, at the end of the day, business success or failure for each is defined by the results they deliver, both top line and bottom line.

This lecture will cover one of the most important aspects in running a business – Operating Discipline – which is very seldom covered as a subject in any graduate or undergraduate business program, but one you will quickly learn the hard way through experience. This lecture is based on the premise that delivering sustainable breakthrough results is the ultimate reflection of strong leadership, absolutely necessary for career advancement in company or to claim success in any business venture. As such, the lecture will include some useful and practical tips on how to ensure you practice operating discipline as you launch on your business journey after school.

Jorge P. Montoya is a member of the board of directors of Gap, Inc. and the Kroger Company. Gap, among the largest apparel companies in the world ($16 billion annual sales), includes Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix stores. Kroger is the second largest grocery retail chain in the world ($105 billion annual sales).

Previously Jorge worked for 33 years with Procter & Gamble, retiring in 2004 as President P&G Latin America and President Global Snacks and Beverages. Starting in his native Peru in 1971, he became GM Peru 1978, GM Spain in 1980 and placed in charge of Latin America in 1985, then a small 4-country business ($400 M sales). He relocated the P&G LA headquarters to Caracas, Venezuela in 1987, including setting up a research & development innovation center. At retirement in 2004 P&G Latin America had operations in all countries and about $5 billion annual sales.

Jorge is a member of the advisory boards of: Haas Business School, University of California, Berkeley; Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administracion (IESA-Venezuela); and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas (Washington DC). He was awarded the “Order of Francisco de Miranda” (1997) in Venezuela. Jorge and his wife Costanza have a private foundation to support underserved children education in Peru and Venezuela.

Jorge obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He was elected NCAA Soccer All American in 1968 and in 1994 he delivered the Commencement Speech at Haas Business School, UC Berkeley.